UK court endorses view that bridge is not a sport

LONDON (AP) — Legions of bridge players in Britain may feel they've been dealt a rotten hand after a court decision endorsed an earlier ruling that the popular card game is not a sport.

A High Court judge on Thursday backed Sport England's assertion that bridge is not a sport because it does not involve physical activity. English Bridge Union officials had challenged the ruling in court.

Judge Ian Dove said in his ruling that he had not been tasked with answering the "broad, somewhat philosophical question" of whether bridge is a sport but simply whether Sport England had committed any legal errors in reaching its conclusion.

The decision will affect possible lottery funding for bridge tournaments.